Insulated rail-joint



W. S. BOYCE.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6, I9I9.

1 ,36 1 ,8 1 6, Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- 3 HIIL ij 1M 2 3/3 4 3 I I I I 7 q S;

J QZ. E

I I f: F I 3 I w f fim avweutoz Q illness W. S. BOYCE.

INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 6, 1919.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

uumto'u UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM STEPHEN BOYCE, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

Application filed October 6, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVIILIAM S. BOYCE, citizen of the United States, residing at Co lumbus (33 So. Washington Street,) in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Insulated Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in insulated rail joints providing a novel base construction possessing practical utility in its application to joints of the type having a metal shoe angles and Wooden fillers.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an insulated rail joint having a strong and substantial metal base support for the rails while at the same time maintaining an efiectual and economical insulation of the joint. At the same time the invention has in view a construction which is intended to better adapt the shoe angle typefof'joint to successfully meet the heavy demands and requirements of modern traffic conditions and'to otherwise materially enhance'lthe serviceability of the joint, in forms of construction especially where the wooden filler occupies the fishing space of the 'rail and underlies the head of'the rail.

7 Accordingly, I the distinctive' featureof the invention resides in the employment 'of a 'base plate of novel formation'a'nd so combined With "the base members of the shoe angle's 'and the 'in'sulation as primarily to provide" means 'wh'ereby the" rail ends are substantially I niformly supported and the pressure 'broughtn'pon the base fiber or 'insul atio'n is uniformly distributed, there i by preventing"early' breaking out of the fiber" and better" maintaining ing'function ofthe joint. v j

Another important object in time is to provide a construction for an insulated ff il 'ff l ti joint which insures a 'solid andfsubstantial crane-joint onfthe'tiei 7 nether object of the-[invention metal rail'base support over the ties between the base iii'embers of the opposite steer shoes,

thusobtaining a uniform support the rail ends and also uniforrn'and full seating Piovide 5 an im rovement liil "the 5 base icon struction-of the 'shoe angle 5 type of' joint Wlir eifi P I'QS S H I'Q 0D the base fibe'r iselirninated regardless of the'poor fitting of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dean, 1920.

Serial No. 328,664.

the shoes and which will also prevent cutting of the base fiber between the base plate and the outer edges of the rail base flanges.

With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The fundamental feature of the invention, which centers in the novel base plate construction and its cooperation with the shoe angles and the base fiber, is necessarily susceptible of embodiment in modified forms without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof ?but certain preferred and practical embodiiments are illustrated in the accom-J panying drawings; in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of an insulated rail joint embodying one form of the invention whereinthe basefiber is formed with an up-turned guard flange interposed between .one'rail flange and the up-right member of one shoe to prevent contact between these opposing metallic surfaces.

' Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 'illus- J tratinga modified; arrangement of the in sulation *wherein a separate side plate of insulation is clamped between one shoe angle and one 'filler block, andcooperates' with the basefiber or base sheet of insulation to provide the necessary'insulation.

"Fig, 3'is a sideelev'ation of: the rail offtherail, and-a 'st'eel shoe "anglehaving'a c lirect cl'ampingengagement with the outer side of; the filler *block, but it is not "necesf sarilyj limited, to such application Never-' theless, in order that the essential and d'i' s tinctiv features of.the inventionma best V ments thereof shown in the drawings are illustrated in connection with a rail joint structure including in combination with the rails R and the usual joint bolts 1 the wooden filler blocks 2 and the steel shoe angles 3. These principal elements are pres ent in all forms of the invention illustrated, and it will be observed that each of the opposite shoe angles 3 comprises the upright bolting member 4 and the horizontal integrally extending base member 5 Also each show angle, being designed to clampingly engage the outer side of the filler block, is preferably formed at its inner side with an inclined clamping face 1 cooperating with a correspondingly inclined bearing face 2 upon the outer side of the adjacent filler block, and upon its outer side the upright member of each shoe angle is formed with a vertical bolting face 1 against which the heads or nuts of the bolts are clamped to provide for drawing the shoe angle inwardly into proper fit and engagement with. the wooden filler block. The form of construction described has been found effective and reliable in service under ordinary conditions, and as above pointed out it is proposed by the present invention to better adapt such a joint to successfully meet the exacting requirements of modern traflic conditions, while at the same time preserving to a marked degree the fiber insulation.

In the attainment of that principal object of the invention there is employed a base plate 6 of special construction. This 7 base plate is intended to occupy an operative position between the bottom of the rails and the upper sides of the base memdesigning this base plate 6 in such a man ner that it is formed with a relatively thick and'hea-vy central block portion '7 extending the full length of the base plate body and of such depth vertically as'to occupy the space between the under sides of the bottoms of the rails and the surface of the tie, and therefore lying in the interval or opening between theinner edges of the base members'fi of the opposite shoe angles, as

may be best seen from Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

In addition to the relatively thick and. central block portion"? of the base plate, the base plate body is formed with the lateral supporting flanges .8 which project from the sides of the central" block po1tion ;7-and extend beneaththe rail base flanges over the base members 5 of theshoe angles. Furthermore 'at the ends ofthe longitudinallyv extending lateral supporting flanges .8 the base plate body is provided Jwith dependiri'g holding lips. or hooks 9 which overlap and engage with the ends of the base members 5 of the opposite shoe angles. This detail of the base plate is of practical importance since it provides means. for positively holding the base plate correctly in its operative'position under the rail ends and prevents shifting thereof in any direction tending to displace it or tendand the portions of the base insulation un- V derlying the edges of the rail flanges, thereby preventing the cutting of the base fiber between the base plate and the outer edges of the rail base flanges, and assuring uniform and equal distribution of the pressure which is brought to bear upon the base fiber. V

The insulation of a rail jointi having the novel base construction described includes the usual insulating end post and the usual bolt insulation. In addition to that insulation the present invention contemplates the use of a sheet of base insulation 12 extending entirely across and'beneaththe rail ends and interposed between the rail bottoms and the upper side-of the base plate 6. In the adaptation shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the said sheet of base insulation .12 is formed with a side plate of insulation 13 which is held clamped between the upright member 1 of one shoe and the adjacent filler block 2, and the opposite edge portion of said sheet of base insulation 12, is formed vwith a short upstanding guard flange 14 which lies in the space between the edge of one rail flange and the upright member 4 of the opposite shoe, thus preventing any metallic contact in that location. Should it be desired to provide for a moreefiective insulation there may be employed a sepa rateside plate of insulation 15 clamped between the upright member of one shoe angle and the adjacent filler block and provided at its lower edge with a guard apron extension 16 which lies between an exposed part of the upright member of one shoe angle and one rail flange. In this latter modification. of the invention, illustrated in Fig. 2 of'the drawings the guard flange '14 is omitted from oneedge of the sheet of base insulaproportionv and minordetails of construc- 'in insulated rail joints will be readily ap I :parent to those familiar-with the artiand it will be understood that changes in theform,

tion as fall within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the present invention.

I claim 1. A rail joint including opposite shoe angles, and a base plate overlying the base members of the shoes and provided at its top edge portions with insulation clearance faces disposed beneath the edges of the rail flanges, and an insulation sheet interposed between the rail bottom and the base plate.

2. A rail joint including opposite shoe angles, a base plate overlying the base members of the shoes and interlocked therewith, said base plate being provided at its top edge portions with insulation clearance faces disposed beneath the edges of the rail flanges, and an insulation sheet interposed between the rail bottom and the base plate.

3. A rail joint including opposite shoe angles, a base plate having a relatively thick tie engaging block portion disposed beneath the base members of the shoes and also having members overlying and interlocked with the base members of the shoes, said base plate being further provided at its top edge portions with insulation clearance faces disposed beneath the edge of the rail flange,

and an insulation sheet interposed between the rail bottoms and the base plate.

4. A rail joint including the opposite shoe angles, fillers interposed between the upright members of the shoes and the rails, a base plate, an insulation sheet interposed between the base plate and the rail bottoms and formed with a member clamped between one filler and shoe angle, said insulation sheet being provided at one edge with an upturned guard flange for the edge of one rail flange.

5. A rail joint including in combination with the rails the opposite shoe angles, having base members provided with flat horizontal upper faces and lower'flat tie engaging faces, a base plate provided with a central tie engaging block portion disposed between the opposite base members of the shoe, and flat horizontal supporting flanges engaging the horizontal upper faces of said base members and having an interlocked engagement with said base members.

In. testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM STEPHEN BOYCE. Witnesses:

CHENEY E. BURNHAM,

K. B. WRIGHT. 

